"Sure." Xu Huo answered casually.

Bai Kou turned around. "You mean that?"

"Of course I mean it." Xu Huo took a sip of tea, still found it too sweet, and set the cup down. He lifted his head to meet her gaze. "I don’t really need that piece of Shitou for now."

That Primeval Stone had already been made into a Prop, with only the function of stopping a certain period of time. Calling it a time stop was actually inaccurate—it merely recorded what happened within a segment of time and didn’t affect reality. In the right instance it could be used for inducement, but in real combat there was little room to use it.

This piece of Shitou was the "Angel’s Eye", ten to one it was a component of Feld’s Battle Angel. The "Tooth" he currently had possessed Spatial Power, and the "Eye" contained Time Force. Just from these two items alone one could tell they were impressive enough; it was easy to imagine how powerful the real Battle Angel would be, so this Primeval Stone could not be destroyed.

The function of a single "Tooth" was limited, but sixteen "Teeth" could become a tool that allowed one to cross sectors at will. The function of a single "Eye" was limited; maybe if he gathered more Eyes, the "Angel’s Eye" would be able to exert its true effect.

Bai Kou was silent for two seconds. "You can trigger Time Force without relying on Props now?"

Xu Huo nodded. "So I can lend you the Primeval Stone for the time being, on the condition that you don’t damage it."

Bai Kou’s expression was complicated. "No problem."

"About Temporal Evolution," Xu Huo said, "our last practice was slightly off in direction."

He then told her what Huahan Werna had informed him of, his insights about temporal states in Pumpkin City, and the inexplicable sense of ease with which he further mastered Time Force after coming out of the one-third game.

There were very few successful cases of Temporal Evolution to begin with, and even fewer like Huahan Werna who had truly achieved something. So even though Bai Kou had access to many powerful Players, she still knew very little about Temporal Evolution.

Precisely because so few people made it to the latter half of the road, she understood better how to exert the greatest effect of Time Force at the initial stage of Evolution.

But that didn’t comfort Bai Kou. Getting the direction wrong was one thing, talent was another.

"Let me keep the Primeval Stone here. Take it when you need it." She said, "I know the Xin Family wants your help. As for authorization on the robot side, I’ll give that to the Xin Family—call it returning the favor."

"What kind of robot could make people from Eye of Platinum flock to it?" Xu Huo asked.

"Just ordinary robots." Bai Kou smiled faintly. "But we’ve cracked one of the energy conversion technologies in them, which greatly lowers the cost."

"That kind of Energy Conversion Chip?" Xu Huo was slightly surprised. "You found it?"

"It took some work to get it." Bai Kou said, "Many rare resources in the game are monopolized by the Hengxing Group or the Game Government. You can imagine how precious this kind of energy conversion technology is."

Xu Huo looked thoughtful. "You’re particularly invested in weapon development."

Invested to the point of being a bit abnormal. Aside from still running instances, she seemed to have poured all her energy into this.

"In this world, only two kinds of power can contend with the game," Bai Kou said. "One is Players, the other is weapons."

"Weapons are more important than Players."

Xu Huo fell silent. This was yet another view that differed from the Old Holy Sword Society.

"Have you ever thought about a world without the game?" he suddenly asked.

Bai Kou glanced at him. "Of course I have. I imagine that would be a relatively peaceful Evolution world."

Xu Huo’s eyes flickered slightly. After a moment he said, "You’re right."

"It’s rare for you to give me such a big present." Bai Kou took a box out of the luggage compartment. "I’ll give you something too."

"A Detachable Energy Bomb that only got declared a success yesterday. Once taken apart it can be stored in a luggage compartment; once assembled it can level a medium-sized city. It’s the most destructive of the portable weapons."

Xu Huo looked at the metal parts divided into more than ten pieces in the box, his gaze finally landing on a semi-transparent shard of ore with complex patterns carved on it, placed in the center.

"This is an Energy Conversion Chip?"

"An improved version." Bai Kou patted the "Angel’s Eye". "Unlike this, it’s disposable and will automatically scrap itself after use."

Xu Huo closed the lid. "I don’t know under what circumstances I’d use a weapon with that kind of power."

With such massive destructive power, it was basically useless in normal Player conflicts. Even if you did use it, the chance of achieving your objective would be very small.

"If you don’t like it, you can just find a place and set it off as fireworks." Bai Kou raised an eyebrow at him.

"It’s not that." Xu Huo put the box into his luggage compartment, then asked, "Has Eye of Platinum ever launched an external war?"

"Eye of Platinum only sells weapons, we don’t do immoral things." Bai Kou poured herself another cup of tea. "I won’t keep you for a meal."

Xu Huo smiled slightly, got up, and prepared to leave.

"Oh right," Bai Kou said at this moment, "if the Mayor’s wife wants to talk to you, just ignore her."

"Why would the Mayor’s wife want to talk to me?"

"Who knows what’s on her mind. If you don’t want to suffer losses, you’d better not respond." After saying this, Bai Kou leaned back into the chair again and picked up her book.

They really were mother and daughter. Xu Huo had just stepped out of the Mechanical Castle when Players came to "invite" him, saying the Mayor’s wife wanted to see him.

"Looks like I can’t not go?" He looked at the several Law Enforcement Team Players surrounding him.

"The Madam wants to see you. It’s your honor." One of them, expressionless, gestured in a "please" motion.

Xu Huo boarded the aircraft and informed Bai Kou in passing.

Mrs. Bai was waiting for him in a flower shop. Different from the formal attire she usually wore in projections, this woman full of personal charm was dressed in simple loungewear and was picking out fresh flowers.

"You’re here." Mrs. Bai greeted him over with a gentle smile. "Come help me choose. I want to make a bouquet for Kou Kou. What color do you think would be suitable?"

Quite a few flowers were already laid out on the table, most of them pink and black. Xu Huo glanced at them and casually picked out a red Rose from a flower bucket beside him.

Mrs. Bai showed a bit of puzzlement. "This one? Isn’t it too ordinary? Kou Kou is my daughter. She deserves something unique in the whole world."

Xu Huo put the flower back. "I have no expertise in this area."

Mrs. Bai gave him a reproachful glance. "You’ll never win a girl’s heart like that."

Xu Huo just smiled and said nothing.

Mrs. Bai didn’t really care about his opinion either. She picked out some rare varieties and had him help trim them, while she did the arranging.

The soft rustling of leaves being stripped and falling to the ground sounded. She told him what to do and he did it, without saying an extra word.

"Do you know why Kou Kou doesn’t like talking to me?" Mrs. Bai looked at the gradually forming bouquet with an unusually gentle gaze.